


parallels

by strangelysweet



Series: Black Nightingale [5]
Category: Persona 5
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Awkwardness, Black Mask Takamaki Ann, Established Relationship, F/F, Fluff, Good Akechi Goro, He's just good, M/M, Morning After, Morning Cuddles, Pining, Shotgunning, Underage Smoking, if you're willing to expose yourself to spoilers tho, just let me have this okay???, so if u want a little context then u should check there, this takes place between chapters 12 and 13 of eye for eye
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-06
Updated: 2020-12-06
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:36:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,962
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27922369
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/strangelysweet/pseuds/strangelysweet
Summary: Haru stirs, stretching her fingers out and in like a cat, and blinks sleepily up at Ann. "Goor morning.""Good morning," Ann replies, smiling down at her.Haru tucks her hair behind her ear, wrapping her arms around Ann's waist. "Were you waiting long?"Shaking her head, the model closes her eyes, pressing her head back down into the pillow. "Not at all. But I was starting to miss you."He curls up there, his face pressed into the crook of the detective's neck. Suppressing a squeak, Goro freezes up, biting down on his tongue as Akira's breath fans on his collarbone."Uh, Akira?" He murmurs, "Are you - Are you awake?"There isn't an answer, but his leg brushes against Goro's under the sheets.
Relationships: Akechi Goro/Amamiya Ren, Akechi Goro/Kurusu Akira, Akechi Goro/Persona 5 Protagonist, Okumura Haru/Takamaki Ann
Series: Black Nightingale [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1854589
Kudos: 26





	parallels

**Author's Note:**

> no content warnings today which is an achievement. why must i torture you all, i hear you ask. there is no reason. i like it.  
> but i present fluff to you today as a break.

It's the mornings that make it all worth it. Clean from all of the night-life ooze and grease, Ann is lying on her back on Haru's silk sheets. She breathes in and out, watching the sunrise through the gauzy curtains, her hair lying around her shoulders in golden waves. Haru's arm is stretched out over her stomach, her tea-colored hair turning pink in the morning light. She shifts in her sleep, the smooth rustle of fabric gentle on Ann's hangover. Impressive as being able to snipe three men in a moving car after three Sazeracs is, it's not a pleasant morning-after. She rubs her face, praying her hand doesn't come back smeared with makeup, and much to her liking, it doesn't. 

Goro wakes up to the sound of the sea. Akira's back is pressed to his chest, hands loosely curled to fists on the pillow in front of his face. He swallows, realizing any sudden movements, like removing his arm from around the dark-haired boy's middle, would awaken him. So he remains still, listening to the faint sound of breathing and the smell of salt on the wind flowing through the open window. The brushed cotton covers are heavy and hot, but the air outside the sheets is chilled, the sun not quite yet risen. Akira sighs in his sleep, and Goro has to press his nails into his palms to keep the memory of kissing him at bay, trying to forget the feeling of warmth on his lips. 

Haru stirs, stretching her fingers out and in like a cat, and blinks sleepily up at Ann. "Goor morning." 

"Good morning," Ann replies, smiling down at her. 

Haru tucks her hair behind her ear, wrapping her arms around Ann's waist. "Were you waiting long?" 

Shaking her head, the model closes her eyes, pressing her head back down into the pillow. "Not at all. But I was starting to miss you." 

Her girlfriend crawls up the bed, lifting one leg over her hips and placing her hands on either side of the pillow. Bending down, she gingerly places a kiss on Ann's forehead. Ann giggles, running her hands through Haru's curls, tilting her face up as her girlfriend kisses the tip of her nose. Finally, their lips brush, sweet and gentle. When she pulls away, Ann smiles softly, twirling strands of Haru's hair around her index fingers. 

"Still miss me?" Haru whispers, light streaming down across her back. 

"You could always be closer," Ann suggests, turning her head to plant a kiss on Haru's wrist.

Akira lifts his head up, his curly nest of dark hair sticking up at odd angles. Goro clears his throat softly, scanning his mind for anything to say that would immediately dismiss the fact that they had both woken up tangled up in each other. But Akira doesn't say anything. He doesn't even grope for his phone plugged in by the bedside table, much to Goro's surprise. Instead, he turns around, half-conscious, and presses his hand just above Goro's heart. He curls up there, his face pressed into the crook of the detective's neck. Suppressing a squeak, Goro freezes up, biting down on his tongue as Akira's breath fans on his collarbone. 

"Uh, Akira?" He murmurs, "Are you - Are you awake?" 

There isn't an answer, but his leg brushes against Goro's under the sheets. Sighing, Goro feels around for his phone on the bedside table, checking the time. As expected, it's far too ungodly of an hour to go downstairs unless he wants to make breakfast, and he _really_ doesn't want to subject everyone else to that. So he gets comfortable, trying to convince himself that this isn't what he wanted since the moment they set their bags down in the room. 

As Haru pulls the cashmere sweater over her head, Ann jerks the box of cigarettes up, catching the one that flies out with her other hand. She takes it in her mouth and watches as Haru strikes a match. Sheltering the flame with her hand, she walks over, folding her leg underneath her as she perches on the bed. Ann leans forward, letting her light the cigarette. A puff of smoke rises between their faces, and Ann inhales the smoke, curling her hand around the nape of Haru's neck.

Her girlfriend leans in closer, pressing her mouth against Ann's as she exhales, smoke curling in the corners of their mouths. When they pull apart, Haru sweeps all of her hair out of her face, blowing out smoke through her pursed lips as Ann taps the cigarette lightly. 

"If you get ash on my sheets, I'm going to kill you." She says, watching the white flakes fall to the floor. 

Ann raises her hands in surrender, nodding to the crystal ashtray on the bedside table. "Don't stress it, sweetheart." 

Haru stretches, the sweater creeping up her stomach to reveal the lace lining of her underwear. "Ah, I better see you dumping all that ash out, alright?"

Slipping a hand around her waist, Ann nods, taking a long drag of the cigarette. "Whatever you say, sweetheart." 

When Akira wakes up, the first thing he feels is a hand resting on the small of his back. His cheek is pressed up against the soft cotton of someone's shirt, their heart beating underneath his ear. Goro is lying on his back, absentmindedly scrolling through his phone, his arm curled around Akira's waist. He realizes Goro's hand is subconsciously fiddling with the hem of his shorts, the warmth of his fingertips sending shivers up his spine. As he shifts his position on the older boy's chest, Goro snaps to attention and sets his phone down, blushing wildly. 

"Oh, um, you're awake." He mumbles, unsure what to with his hands. 

Akira sits up, acutely aware of how Goro's hand still hasn't moved from the small of his back. 

"Yeah," He breathes, his palm pressing against Goro's chest. "Sorry." 

"No, no, it's-" He pauses, "it's fine. You didn't do anything wrong." 

The cold sea air streams through the window, and Akira feels his hair stand on end, the chill biting through the lingering warmth of the sheets and Goro's body. He looks over his shoulder, crossing his arms over his chest in an attempt to contain any escaping heat. It's unsuccessful, and he gives up after a few seconds, lying back down on the bed, facing away from his friend as he perches on the end of the bed. A particular huffy sigh makes him look over at Goro once again, his face heating up. 

"Stop playing the martyr and get off the side of the bed." He orders, moving over and patting the space beside him. "I'm not - I'm not going to judge you." 

Akira laughs nervously, rolling over to lie on his chest, slightly closer to Goro than before. "You say that, but..."

He trails off as the older boy frowns at him, brow knotted. "It's four in the morning, Akira. If you think I can form a coherent judgment, it's very flattering but also very wrong."

Sleep beckons him in the form of a large yawn, and Akira rolls onto his side, his back pressed against Goro's side. He thinks back to the café, to the shared moment of pure, unadulterated instinct. He kept telling himself that he didn't mean to do it, that the kiss didn't mean as much to Goro as it meant to him. Absentmindedly, his hand drifts to his mouth, tracing the place where he could remember Goro's lips against his, even after days. 

He lies there, unmoving for God knows how long, watching the sun ascend further up the horizon through the window.

Ann pads into the kitchen in her underwear and socks, dumping the contents of the ashtray into the garbage can and coming up behind Haru as she cooks breakfast. The eggs sizzle in the pan, and the bacon hisses as she turns it over, crackling at the edges. Ann presses a kiss to the nape of her neck, her hands reaching underneath the charcoal-grey sweater to run her thumb in circles over Haru's stomach. 

"I should marry you," She says as they sway side to side to music no one else can hear, "I really should." 

Haru sets the spatula down, turning around to cup Ann's face with her hands. "You can't, darling. It's still illegal."

Ann scoffs. "Haru, I've shot a man between the eyes and framed it on his wife. I don't think legality is the reason I'm losing sleep at night."

"You're not being serious, Ann." Haru sighs, smiling softly. "You're only seventeen. I'm only eighteen. My father is arranging my marriage to some pig with a trust fund in a week or so." 

Ann growls, holding Haru by her waist as she buries her face in the crook of her neck. "I'll kill him. I'll tear him apart if he so much as _looks_ at you." 

"Ann," She pats the model's shoulder, "Ann, the bacon is burning." 

Ann looks up, grabs the spatula, and flips the bacon over, peering over the fluff of Haru's sweater. "There. Now, give me your fiancé's home address." 

Giggling, her girlfriend shakes her head, kissing her forehead. "You know I can't." 

Ann places the bacon and eggs on the plates from the cupboard, placing them on the marble counter, frowning fiercely. "I don't, actually. If this new guy is such a pain in the ass, why can't I set fire to his yacht?" 

"Because your boss won't be happy, and when he's not, you're not. Remember the last time you went against protocol?" Haru argues, her brow knitting. "You're not invincible, Ann." 

"Well, I'm pretty tough to kill, so I really think you're overestimating him," Ann yells, slamming the cupboard door closed. 

Haru sighs, taking her hands in her own. "I'm not trying to start a fight, darling. I'm just worried about you."

Looking at the floor, Ann rubs her thumb against the backs of Haru's hands. "I know. I shouldn't have yelled. I'm sorry." 

"Oh, Ann," Her girlfriend pulls her closer, stroking her hair. "I love you." 

Goro wakes up, yet _again_ , with his face buried in the nape of Akira's neck, arms wrapped around his chest. Akira looks over his shoulder, thinking Goro is still asleep, tucking a strand of hair behind his ear. 

"It would be nice if we didn't have to save the world, huh?" He murmurs, fingers tracing the lines between the freckles on Goro's arms. 

He stays silent, not wanting to scare the younger boy. Akira sighs, turning onto his back. Goro shuts his eyes, his heartbeat skittering in his veins as Akira's hand slides between his cheek and the pillow, the pad of his thumb sliding over his cheekbone. 

"If we were normal," Akira whispers, "I would be kissing you right now." 

Praying he still looks like he's asleep, Goro bites his tongue, channeling all of his energy into preventing his face from heating up.

Akira laughs humorlessly, his knees gently bumping up against Goro's underneath the covers. "If I were normal, if I wasn't seeing all of that Velvet Room bullshit, I could get over myself and ask you out." 

He sighs, twirling a strand of Goro's hair around his finger. "But _he's_ still there. I keep seeing both of you, switching all the time in my mind." 

A hand creeps up his wrist, gently enclosing over Goro's own, and as Akira holds his hand, he can feel the scars on his fingers from where Shadows got him, smoothly healed for cuts so jagged. A seagull cries outside and the sun lights up behind his eyelids, warm on his face. Akira's lips brush against his forehead, pressing a soft kiss to his skin. 

"Wait for me." 

**Author's Note:**

> haru in her cashmere sweater lives in my mind rent-free. it was her bday yesterday, so this is my offering to the okumura gods


End file.
